8.15.2012

happy birthday to julia child!

did you know that my childhood dream was to be a chef? i swear that up until i was in jr high i played restaurant with my little kitchen. and even still, my dream life would consist of me saving the world through cookies.

so you can imagine my admiration for the great julia child. she turns 100 years old today. in celebration of her life, emily and i decided to cook dinner tonight julia style. here's what i'm cookin up:

in a small bowl, combine all the ingredients through the lemon juice. whisk and slowly pour in oil to emulsify the marinade.

brush each pork chop on all sides with the marinade. place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour.

heat a large non-stick skillet over high heat. spray with non-stick cooking spray and add the pork chops. sear until deeply caramelized on the first side before flipping them to caramelize on the second side.

cauliflower and broccoli cheese**

1 small firm cauliflower

1 small head of broccoli

3 1/2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

1 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup bacon

1 cup tomatoes, sliced and quartered

salt and pepper to taste

chop the bacon and fry over a gentle heat until golden brown.

meanwhile, wash the cauliflower and broccoli, divide into florets and add to a large saucepan of boiling water. put the cauliflower in the boiling water and the broccoli on the top as the broccoli generally needs slightly less time to cook. simmer for about five minutes, test every 2 minutes until cooked. drain through a colander and set the colander on the original saucepan, in a warm place to drain as you make your sauce.

melt butter, then add flour and mile to make a roux. let simmer for 10 minutes to thicken.

add 2/3 of the grated cheese to create a thick bechamel sauce. taste and season.

lay the sliced tomatoes in the base of a warmed, large, ovenproof dish. scatter over the bacon and add a third of the cheese sauce. arrange the cooked cauliflower and broccoli over this then pour the remaining cheese sauce and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. place in the oven on broil for 5 minutes to brown.

vichy carrots***

3 (or so)julienne carrots

1 tbsp butter

a sprinkling of sugar

2 tbsp water

balsamic vinegar

put the carrots in a pan with the butter, sugar and water.

cook on high heat, shaking occasionally, adding more water if necessary (all the water should have evaporated when the carrots are ready.